Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Baroness Buscombe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they paid out to Bounce Back Loan Scheme lending banks under the government-backed guarantee between 1 January 2022 and 30 April; and what percentage of this figure was attributed to fraud.

Lord Callanan: Data relating to settled claims and suspected fraud within the Bounce Back Loan Scheme is captured on a cumulative basis. As of 31 March 2022, c.£351 million in settled claims on the scheme guarantee have been paid to lenders, of which c.£72 million [20%] have a suspected fraud marker as reported by lenders to the British Business Bank. The lenders under the Scheme are not law enforcement agencies, it is the courts who determine whether or not a fraud has been committed. These statistics are an indicator of levels of suspected fraud rather than actual, proven levels.

Hydroelectric Power

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 8 April (HL7358), what is the source for their figure of “less than 1% of total generation capacity”; and whether the economic constraints referred to have changed as a result of price rises over the last year.

Lord Callanan: The source of the assessment of the potential for hydroelectric power in England and Wales is the Hydropower Resource Assessment Report Version 13.0, October 2010. Despite the level of current wholesale electricity prices, hydro project developers generally require long term power purchase agreements.

Hydroelectric Power: Smart Export Guarantee

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 8 April (HL7358), whether hydro power companies are eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee; and if so, what the mechanism is for them to approach electricity suppliers.

Lord Callanan: The Smart Export Guarantee came into force on 1 January 2020 and requires most electricity suppliers to offer a tariff to buy electricity exported by small low-carbon generators, including small hydro. Licensed suppliers with more than 150,000 customers are required to offer at least one SEG tariff to small-scale, low-carbon generators.

Renewable Energy: Business Rates

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 8 April (HL7358), what the process is for renewable energy generators and storage providers to apply for the exemption from business rates.

Lord Callanan: As set out in the Spring Statement 2022, the green plant and machinery exemption applies from April 2022. The Valuation Office Agency will implement this exemption. There will be no need for renewable energy generators or storage providers to apply.

Energy: Prices

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans theyhave to help householders facing increasing energy bills.

Lord Callanan: On 26 May 2022, the Government announced a £15 billion package of cost of living support. This is in addition to the over £22 billion announced previously for the cost of living now totalling over £37 billion this year. This means almost eight million of the most vulnerable households will get £1,200 of one-off support in total this year, with all domestic electricity customers receiving at least £400.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Females

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the ethnic breakdown of women in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, for each of the last 10 years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The attached tables show the numbers of female prisoners aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, for each of the last 10 years. The Female Offender Strategy (FOS), a comprehensive programme of work to improve outcomes for women at all points of the Criminal Justice System, included a clear commitment to look at how the distinct needs of ethnic minority women can be better addressed, and work is underway to deliver this commitment.Table (xlsx, 19.6KB)

Prisoners: Females

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, have previously been in local authority care in each of the last 10 years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to meeting the needs of all vulnerable offenders, including those who have previously been in local authority care. All individuals that come into contact with the criminal justice system need to be able to access the right support to help them engage with their sentence. HMPPS has a Strategy for Care Experienced People which is based on the assessment of needs specific to this group. The strategy focuses on identifying people with care experience and collaborative working with local authorities and other organisations, helping individuals to receive the necessary support. HMPPS holds a limited amount of the information requested. Since 2015, as part of the basic custody screening interview, we have recorded the answers of all new prisoners coming into custody as to whether or not they have been in the care of local authority children’s services at any time. The information is purely self-declared. Age when BCS Part 1 Completed20152016201720182019202020212022 TYD up to and including 31/03/2021Age 18 to 2528128523320621414313449Age 26 or over709772678701657467460151 The data for 2022 is up to and including 31 March which is the most recent date for which it can be verified. It should be noted that individual prisoners admitted to custody on separate occasions could be included in multiple years across this data.

Prisons: Discipline

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyadjudications were received by women in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, or (2) 26 years or older, for each of the last 10 years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The prisoner discipline system upholds justice in prisons and ensures incidents of prison rule-breaking have consequences. The Ministry of Justice monitors adjudication outcomes by offence, age, gender, ethnicity, religion and adjudicator, this data is published quarterly and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.The specific information requested can be found in the table attached. The information is provided by the age groupings of (1) 18-25 and (2) 26 and over, to provide full data to answer the question.Number of adjudications outcomes for women and specific age group, 2012 - 2021, England and Wales 2012201320142015201620172018201920202021Age  18-252,6552,0022,1402,3261,9292,6802,6452,2481,7391,75026 and over4,7204,5894,9965,6676,3487,8178,8348,7206,4506,034Data sources and qualityThe figures in this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.Source: PQ HL532, Prison NOMIS System, (Ministry of Justice; Data and Analysis, Directorate)

Prisoners: Females

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average number of miles that women in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, are held from their home address.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The requested information can be found in the table below. It covers all prisoners housed in female prisons across England and Wales and was accurate as of 31st March 2022. Distance Age groupTotal18-2526+Total number of prisoners39928403239Average straight-line distance (Miles)43.245.645.3 HMPPS is committed to ensuring, where practicable, that prisoners are accommodated as close as possible to their resettlement communities and families. Whilst this is a priority, it is not always possible due to a variety of factors including wider population pressures, or where prisoners have specific sentence planning needs which can only be met at certain establishments. There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security assessment, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison.

Prisoners: Females

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women aged(1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, are currently held in each female prison establishment.

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manywomen in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, or (2) 26 years or older, are currently sharing a cell.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The requested data, correct as of 31st March 2022, is provided in table form below. HL530 – The number of people housed in each female prison aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older.Prison EstateAge group18-2526+TotalAskham Grange69096Bronzefield69389458Downview40234274Drake Hall20257277East Sutton Park55964Eastwood Park47326373Foston Hall36220256Low Newton22219241New Hall37290327Peterborough (Female Site)53265318Send11171182Styal53320373Total39928403239HL534 – The number of people aged (1) between 18 and 25, and (2) 26 years or older sharing a cell in a female prison. Sharing TypeAge group18-2526+TotalNumber sharing107739846Not sharing29221012393Total39928403239 Cells are only shared when absolutely necessary, and where they are assessed to be of an adequate size and condition. Prison cell occupancy is certified by the Prison Group Director (PGD) in accordance with the Certified Prisoner Accommodation Framework, which provides guidelines for determining cell capacities. The sharing of double occupancy cells (designed for two) can, in some circumstances, be beneficial; some prisoners prefer it and, in the right circumstances, it can benefit their mental health and wellbeing.

Prisons: Restraint Techniques

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many incidents ofphysical restraint took place in the female prison estate on women aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, in each year since 2018.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The requested data on use of force incidents is available for the 12 months ending March 2019 to March 2022. This is detailed in the attached Excel spreadsheet. Every use of physical force is reviewed, and prison officers receive appropriate training to ensure that it is only used when necessary, reasonable and proportionate, and as a last resort.Table (xlsx, 20.5KB)

Department for International Trade

Imports: Israel

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Grimstone of Boscobel on 27 April (HL7831), what checks are carried out to ensure that Israeli export goods originate from Israeland not from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian Occupied Territories.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not covered by any United Kindgom trade agreement, so do not receive tariff preferences. Should HMRC have reasonable doubts regarding the origin of an imported good, or suspect that a certificate of origin has been erroneously completed, then a verification of the good’s origin can be requested.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

East Africa: Famine

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to lead an international response to prevent widespread famine in (1) East Africa, and (2) the Horn of Africa.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The humanitarian situation across the Horn and East of Africa is extremely concerning. Conflict and drought are the main causes of humanitarian need. The region is experiencing one of its most severe droughts in history with more than 15 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia assessed to be acutely food insecure, according to the UN. Nearly 500,000 people in Ethiopia and Somalia are experiencing famine-like conditions.The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the region. In 2022 the UK has provided £72 million to support more than one million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan affected by conflict, drought and flooding. Across the region UK funded humanitarian activities are making a difference and saving lives. In Kenya the UK is providing 26,000 children with life-saving nutritional support. In Ethiopia a further 200,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in southern and eastern regions will receive similar aid. The UK also played a critical role in convening the recent UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable which took place in late April in Geneva. This included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels of participation. It helped to bring much needed focus on the drought and it mobilised roughly US$400 million in new funding.Our response to the drought builds on long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance. In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK has been supporting over 220 rural communities in three large urban cities with durable solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals as a part of our emergency humanitarian response.

Horn of Africa: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what humanitarian assistance they are providing to the 5.7 million children in the Horn of Africa who are expected to suffer acute malnourishment this year as a result of the ongoing drought.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the East Africa region. In 2022 the UK has provided £72 million to support more than one million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan affected by conflict, drought and flooding. Across the region UK-funded humanitarian activities are making a difference and saving lives. In Kenya the UK is providing 26,000 children with life-saving nutritional support. In Ethiopia a further 200,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in southern and eastern regions will receive similar aid. The UK also played a critical role in convening the recent UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable which took place in late April in Geneva. This included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels of participation. It helped to bring much needed focus on the drought and it mobilised roughly US$400 million in new funding.Our response to the drought builds on long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance. In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK has been supporting over 220 rural communities in three large urban cities with durable solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals as a part of our emergency humanitarian response.

Developing Countries: Food Aid

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassistance they are providing to transport grain out of Ukrainian silos and into countries on the verge of famine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are urgently working with the UN, the G7 and the international community to explore the best solutions to extract the 25 million tons of grain currently stuck in Ukraine. We continue to work with the Ukrainians and other international partners to find ways to resume the export of grain from Ukraine and to the countries that desperately need it.

Developing Countries: Food Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking through the Food and Agriculture Organization (1) to expedite the export of foodstuffs from the Ukraine, and (2) to mobilise the release of emergency stocks of food to the poorest countries and arrange the necessary shipping.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are urgently working with the UN, the G7 and the international community to explore the best solutions to extract the 25 million tons of grain currently stuck in Ukraine. We recognise the consequences of the conflict are impacting all of our economies. We are clear that prices are rising because of Russia's actions: Putin's illegal, unprovoked and premeditated invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating price rises in commodity markets.We are calling on all countries to keep food trade flowing - the worst outcome now would be an obstruction of food trade. We are aware of reports of certain countries imposing restrictions on exports and the worrying impact this could have on global food supplies. The UK has led over 50 World Trade Organisation members to commit to keeping food markets open, predictable and transparent, and is seeking agreement at June's Ministerial Conference on further actions.

Ukraine: Railways

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they are taking to support the government of Ukraine to replace railway track with an UIC 1.435mm gauge track to the Polish border, to enable trains to travel to and from Poland and other EU member states without having to replace bogies.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are urgently working with the UN, the G7 and the international community to explore the best solutions to extract the 25 million tons of grain currently stuck in Ukraine. We continue to work with the Ukrainians and other international partners to find ways to resume the export of grain from Ukraine and to the countries that desperately need it. Network Rail has recently assisted the Ukrainian rail authorities with a gift of surplus road vehicles and rail engineering tools, which can be used to repair damaged rail infrastructure.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Military Aid

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further steps they are taking to encourage other countries to provide urgent military equipment to Ukraine.

Baroness Goldie: The UK continues to galvanise support from the international community. We have worked closely with allies and partners to ensure that Ukrainian Armed Forces requirements are met at pace. The Defence Secretary has hosted two international donor conferences to coordinate aid from 35 partner nations and, via strong participation in the International Donor Coordination Centre, the UK continues to enable support to Ukraine from across the world.

Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which countries members of the UK defence forces serve as part of a United Nations presence.

Baroness Goldie: The UK deploys peacekeepers to contingent deployments in the United Nations Force in Cyprus and to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. We deploy a contingent to the UN Support Office in Somalia, and Military Staff Officers and experts to Cyprus, Mali, South Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Libya, South Korea and the UN Headquarters in New York.

Army Reserve

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the size of the Territorial Army in 1998; what is the current size of the trained strength of the Army Reserve; what assessment they have made of whether the number of reservists is adequate; and if the number is not adequate, what steps they will take to increase the number of reservists.

Baroness Goldie: The number of Army Reserves under Future Soldier is optimal for forecasted future demands. Under Future Soldier plans, the Army Reserve will grow and better integrate with the Regular Army, and the British Army will become a whole force of over 100,000 regulars and reservists. The total strength of the Territorial Army Group A (trained and untrained) as of 1 April 1998 was 51,100. In line with published statistics, the following table shows the strength of the Army Reserve as of 1 January 2022: FR20 Strength 01 January 2022 TotalTrainedUntrainedTotal29,40026,2003,300Army Reserve Group A27,60024,4003,200Army Reserve Group C100100-FTRS (Volunteer Reserve)1,7001,700- Notes: The way the Army Reserve strength is measured has changed over time and Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) did not exist in 1998. The 51,100 therefore compares to the Group A Trained and Untrained Strength of 27,600 in 2022. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not appear to be the sum of their parts.

National Flagship: Procurement

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the national flagship will be ordered; and whether it will be built in a UK shipyard.

Baroness Goldie: The National Flagship programme remains in its Design Stage, with a competitive procurement process in progress. A separate competition for the construction of the National Flagship will be launched in due course. The detailed construction schedule will be subject to the successful bidder's build strategy. It is the intention to build the National Flagship in the UK.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Foetal Anticonvulsant Syndrome

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government why those withFetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder are required to re-apply for (1) Personal Independence Payment, and (2) Disability Living Allowance, given that the condition is lifelong and does not present changing symptoms.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Award rates and their durations are set on an individual basis, based on the claimant’s needs and the likelihood of those needs changing, including where childhood developmental milestones are reached. Award reviews allow for the correct rate of DLA or PIP to remain in payment, including where needs have increased as a consequence of a congenital, degenerative or progressive condition.

Social Security Benefits: Foetal Anticonvulsant Syndrome

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) value, and (2) use, of the Condition Insight Report for Valproate in enabling (a) Personal Independence Payment, and (b) Disability Living Allowance, assessors to understand Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Both Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment providers have a Condition Insight Report (CIR) on Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder. CIR provide condition-based information which Health Professionals (HPs) have access to during the course of the PIP assessment process. CIRs are often developed with input from stakeholder groups that advocate for those with the relevant condition. While it is not possible to objectively assess the specific impact of a CIR on HPs’ knowledge, the CIR on Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder is a welcome addition to the information available to HPs. Claims to DLA are dealt with by DWP case managers. Case managers refer to Departmental guidance The Children’s A-Z of Medical Conditions which sets out the main care and mobility needs likely to arise from different disabling conditions. If necessary, further information is gathered from health professionals, or in the case of a child, from their school.

Social Security Benefits: Foetal Anticonvulsant Syndrome

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people withFetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder have been refused the award of (1) Personal Independence Payment, or (2) Disability Living Allowance, over the last 12 months.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment: Disability

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that disabled people entering employment are not financially disadvantaged.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: There are a range of DWP initiatives that support disabled people and people with health conditions to live independent lives and start, stay and succeed in employment. These include the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, Access to Work, Disability Confident and support in partnership with the health system, including Employment Advisers in NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services.The Green Paper explored how the benefits system can better meet the needs of claimants now and in the future, by improving claimant experience of our services, enabling independent living, and improving employment outcomes. We remain committed to responding to this Green Paper consultation with a White Paper later this year.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hare Coursing

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to take action on illegal hare coursing.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Measures to address hare coursing were included in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act that gained Royal Assent on 29 April this year. Hare coursing causes considerable distress to farmers, landowners and rural communities, in addition to the suffering it causes animals. Our new legislation introduces two new criminal offences relating to activity connected with hare coursing and increases the powers of the courts to deal with offenders upon conviction. We have significantly increased the maximum penalties available upon conviction for offences under the existing and new legislation including, for the first time, the possibility of custodial sentences. These measures will come into force on 1 August this year ahead of the start of the next hare coursing season.

Furs: Imports and Sales

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ban the (1) import, and (2) sale, of fur.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government made a commitment to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. We have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties. We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector and speak to a range of interested parties, to make sure we fully understand the issues at hand before taking any decisions regarding fur.

Countryside: Conduct

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Countryside Code.

Lord Benyon: Natural England recently updated the Countryside Code, following significant stakeholder engagement. It comprises a version aimed at visitors to the countryside (updated April 2021) and a version aimed at land managers with public access on their land (launched February 2022). Monitoring and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the updated Countryside Code has been, and will continue to be, undertaken in several ways.Natural England has included two questions relating to the Countryside Code in the People and Nature Survey for England since April 2021. This online panel survey, which has Official Statistics status, gathers evidence and trend data through relating to people’s enjoyment, access, understanding of and attitudes to the natural environment, and its contributions to wellbeing. One of these questions collects data on participants’ reported behaviours when visiting the countryside, corresponding to the behaviours included in the Countryside Code. The other question collects data on the extent to which participants have heard of the Countryside Code and follow it. Data is currently available for the period April to December 2021, which includes responses from a nationally representative sample of 18,747 adults in England (see attachment, 'PANS Monthly Countryside Code data for December 2021' (www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-people-and-nature-survey-for-england-monthly-indicators-for-december-2021-official-statistics)). A detailed analysis of this data will be carried out at the end of a full year’s data collection, during 2022/23. In addition, Natural England recently delivered two small-scale stakeholder surveys focused on the Countryside Code:In an online survey of 3,801 stakeholders carried out in winter 2020/21, participants shared their opinions about the effectiveness of the Countryside Code, current levels of public awareness about it and official efforts to improve this. They also provided information about their personal level of engagement and familiarity with the Countryside Code, including to which extent they have used and promoted it. The results of this survey, in addition to Natural England’s response to the headline findings, have been published (see attachment, NERR095 2021 ‘The Countryside Code: Stakeholder Survey. A summary of findings’ (//publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/6527410754551808)). These results informed work to update the Countryside Code.Natural England delivered another online survey in autumn 2021, aimed at land managers, which received 613 responses. This survey collected data on the opinions and awareness of land managers in relation to the Countryside Code, in addition to direct experiences of undesirable visitor behaviours on the land they manage and self-reported behaviours relevant to managing public access on their land in line with the Countryside Code. The results will be published in spring 2022.Natural England will use these survey results as a baseline and will run further stakeholder surveys on an annual basis to track change in awareness and utilisation of the Countryside Code, and the impact of the Code on reported behaviours.Natural England has also delivered internal evaluations of the impact of communication campaigns launched to promote the updated versions of the Countryside Code.Natural England will commission a more complete evaluation of the effectiveness of the Countryside Code, and recent promotional initiatives, during 2022/23.PANS Monthly Countryside Code data for Dec 2021 (xlsx, 41.0KB)Countryside Code Stakeholder Survey (pdf, 1400.0KB)

Home Office

Asylum: Rwanda

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whenthey will publish the terms of reference for the Monitoring Committee, which was referred to in the Memorandum of Understanding with the government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement; and when the Monitoring Committee will be operational.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether individuals have been appointed to the Monitoring Committeethat was set out in the Memorandum of Understanding with the government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether co-chairs have been appointed to the Joint Committee that was to be established "without delay” after the asylum partnership arrangement with the government of the Republic of Rwanda came into effect.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The terms of reference and membership of the Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership are in the process of being developed. The Monitoring Committee is due to become operational in the coming months. More details on this will be set out in due course.The co-chairs for the Joint Committee will be decided upon in due course.

Home Office: Infosys

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many contracts were awarded to Infosys in the last five years by the Home Office; and what was the cost to the taxpayer of each of those contracts.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Two contracts were awarded to Infosys in the last five years, both have been published on Contracts Finder where further detail on the values can be found.ERP Test Services - Contracts FinderQAT013 Infrastructure Testing - Contracts Finder

Civil Proceedings

Lord Cromwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed Economic Crime Bill will include a legal definition of Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

Lord Cromwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed Economic Crime Bill will establish an (1) earlier, and (2) low-cost, procedure to (a) identify, and (b) dismiss, Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

Lord Cromwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed Economic Crime Bill willmake it an offence to (1) undertake, or (2) knowingly participate in, Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Building on the recently enacted Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill will bear down on kleptocrats, criminals and terrorists who abuse our financial system, strengthening the UK's reputation as a place where legitimate business can thrive while driving dirty money out of the UK. It will include reform of Companies House, reforms to prevent abuse of limited partnerships, additional powers to seize suspect cryptoassets more quickly and easily, and reforms to give businesses more confidence to share information in order to tackle money laundering and other economic crime. My right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister, is giving Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (‘SLAPPs’) and libel reform in UK courts urgent consideration in light of reports that Russia and its allies may be funding litigation against free speech in the UK. An urgent call for evidence was launched in response to the challenges presented by the increasing use of SLAPPs – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. The call for evidence set out options for possible reforms and sought views on those proposals. It also invited those who have been subject to SLAPPs or who have an interest to share their experiences and the impact on them. The call for evidence closed on 19 May and the Ministry of Justice, working with several other Government departments and regulators, are considering the options for reform. In doing so we are committed to a robust defence of transparency, the rule of law and freedom of speech.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Older People

Baroness Greengross: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) whether capital funding is an effective way to incentivise the supply of housing for older people, and (2) how capital funding interacts with other factors such as planning legislation in this context.

Lord Greenhalgh: Boosting the supply of a range of specialist housing across the country is key to our aim of ensuring older people can access the right homes to suit their needs. We work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to provide capital funding to incentivise supply.   Since 2010, we have delivered over 574,100 new affordable homes, including specialist housing for older people, through our investment in affordable housing.   We know that communities would welcome more homes, so long as they are the right sort of homes, are well designed and have the right supporting infrastructure. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill centres these interests, and will change the plan-making system, creating incentives to have a plan in place, with this plan having more weight in planning decisions. This will give certainty to communities and applicants about what can be built and where, supporting more permissions for development communities want.

Housing: Disability and Older People

Baroness Greengross: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that (1) older people, and (2) people with disabilities, can live in suitable housing.

Lord Greenhalgh: This Government is committed to ensuring older and disabled people can access homes that best suits their needs.   We work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to provide capital funding to incentivise supply. This includes investing £11.5 billion in the new Affordable Homes Programme, which includes delivery of new specialist or supported housing for older, disabled and other vulnerable people. We have also committed £573 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant each year from 2022-23 to 2024-25 to support eligible older and disabled people to adapt their homes to suit their needs.   As announced in the Levelling Up White Paper, we will shortly launch a new government taskforce to look at ways we can provide better choice, quality and security of housing for older people.

Treasury

Government Departments: Brexit

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) the Competition and Markets Authority, (2) the Health and Safety Executive, and (3) the Food Standards Agency, have sufficient staff to manage additional responsibilities following the UK’s exit from the EU; and whether they will allocate additional funding to these agencies to ensure they can fulfil their regulatory responsibilities.

Baroness Penn: Spending Review 2021 set departmental budgets, including those for the Competition and Markets Authority, the Health and Safety Executive and the Food Standards Agency from 2022-23 to 2024-25. These settlements took account of new responsibilities following EU exit. Secretaries of State and accounting officers hold responsibility for departmental workforce matters, including, for example departmental workforce planning, recruitment, and resourcing decisions.

Cost of Living

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the conflict in Ukraine on the cost of living in the UK.

Baroness Penn: The conflict in Ukraine has affected the global economy. The government is closely monitoring developments and the channels through which they may affect the UK economy, and we remain committed to supporting businesses, people, and jobs. The high inflation seen recently has largely been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, as global supply chain disruption has pushed up goods prices, and higher global energy prices. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has added to inflationary pressures and the cost of living- it has already pushed up the prices consumers pay for fuel, some goods and is contributing to higher expected energy prices in the autumn. We know that millions of households across the UK are struggling to make their incomes stretch to cover the cost of living. That is why the government is providing over £15bn of additional support, as announced by the Chancellor on 26 May 2022. This is in addition to the £22bn announced previously, with government support for the cost of living now totalling over £37bn this year. More information on government support for the cost of living can be found on the Gov.uk website.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Westminster Hall

Lord Blencathra: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what discussions he has had with the Privy Council Office, if any, concerning the use of Westminster Hall for the Accession Council.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: I have not had any discussions with the Privy Council Office on the use of Westminster Hall for the Accession Council.